Business Process Modeling for Your Software Projects

Business Process Modeling Can Help You Maximize Your Implementation

Manufacturers and distributors who are implementing enterprise software–ERP, CRM, or other solutions–are usually chomping at the bit to get their new software up and running. Who can blame them? It’s a major investment that promises business process optimization; however, you can’t maximize ROI for your implementation if you’re skipping important steps!  

 

One of those critical steps is business process modeling, a strategy that identifies pain points and maps out a vision for your company’s future after the software is implemented. Basically, BPM sets the foundation for the project’s success!  

 

So, what exactly is business process modeling, and how can it maximize your implementation? Read below to find out! 

 

What is Business Process Modeling?

By visually representing your business’s workflows and operations, you gain insight into your business’s gaps and pain points. BPM maps out “as-is” processes as well as “to be” processes, meaning experts graph your current process in addition to improved, future processes.    

 

The idea is to gain a complete perspective of your operations by visualizing how data and tasks flow from end to end in your enterprise. You can identify inefficiencies and create an updated map that establishes new and improved workflows.  

 

You might be asking yourself why BPM matters to your software project. Well, your consultants absolutely should align your software to your business process; however, aligning software to a poor business process is counterproductive. That’s what makes business process modeling so critical to a project’s success. Maybe data is moving inefficiently through your enterprise, or perhaps your demand planning strategies aren’t up to par–regardless of the issues, business process modeling helps you minimize the issue, increase productivity, and maximize ROI.   

 

What are the Benefits of Business Process Modeling?

Understanding and updating your business processes helps you maximize the value of your software. Outlined below are just a few of the benefits of undergoing business process modeling:  

 

• You can foster a deeper understanding of your business performance and goals. That way, you can instill greater transparency and accountability in your enterprise.
• You can stick to your objectives and avoid scope creep.
• You can use the insights to establish use cases, or documents that define how your users will interact with the new software.
• You can refine operations and workflows, so you can ensure that your software is supporting best business practices.
• You can standardize processes to maintain consistency.
• You can mitigate risk by ensuring essential tools are in place to optimize workflows.

Wrap Up

Software implementations give your business the power to dramatically increase efficiency and boost revenue; however, even a flawless implementation won’t maximize your investment if you’re business process isn’t effective.  

 

Business process modeling will streamline your business by aligning software to meet your vision, but you don’t have to do it alone! While no one understands your business better than your team, working with a software consultant can give you a fresh perspective that will uncover valuable insights! Datix certified consultants have extensive experience with manufacturing and distribution environments, and we are a leader in both ERP and CRM solutions!  

 

To start improving your business performance, click here to receive an evaluation of your current process. Datix ERP experts will identify gaps in your workflows and make relevant suggestions to boost your enterprise’s success. Start transforming your business with software by receiving an evaluation today!